The new wealth

Are you one of the new sages and visionaries who understand that the old social and cultural system and the old mental patterns have profound limits and are close to their end? I keep meeting people like this. People who ignite my heart with their passion and the freshness of their ideas and their projects.

There is a wonderful sense of excitement, of curiosity and desire for change in the world today, despite the official channels of communication continuing to beat the drum of the usual problems, the usual tensions and the usual dynamics. There is a huge desire to return to a lifestyle more respectful of life. A lifestyle more attentive to global balance, to a higher quality of life more respectful of other forms of life on the planet. It is as if we are finally waking up to the realisation that whatever we do, we do it to ourselves. Not only to others.

From this awareness, so many beautiful projects are flourishing and setting a different tone, such as the ServiceSpace organisation, which is based on the principle of generosity.

To make something different happen, you have just to believe in it fully.

It is our current lifestyle itself that is teaching us the most: we are richer and sicker, richer and unhappier. Accumulation is not the answer. Accumulation is stagnation, it is a burden, it is death. 

The new wealth is different from money. The new wealth of those who have finally freed themselves from centuries of cultural and social conditioning, is time and good health to enjoy it. The new wealthy are those who are able to live and spend time in a way that is the most relaxing and rewarding possible, taking care of their bodies and their physical and mental balance, cultivating their relationships and their projects with passion, developing projects and ideas that make them deeply happy. The pleasure of a life based on this type of new wealth is priceless. I have directly witnessed this.

In this regard, I like the idea of ​​sharing a very inspiring story with you: 

A vacationing American businessman was standing on the pier of a quaint coastal fishing village in southern Mexico watching as a small boat with just one young Mexican fisherman in pulled into the dock. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. Enjoying the warmth of the early afternoon sun, the American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.

“How long did it take you to catch them?”the American asked casually.

“Oh, a few hours,”the Mexican fisherman replied.

“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?”the American then asked.

The Mexican warmly replied, “With this I have more than enough to meet my family’s needs.”

The American then became serious, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

Responding with a smile, the Mexican answered, “I sleep late, play with my children, watch ball games, and take siesta with my wife. Sometimes in the evenings I take a stroll into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, sing a few songs…”

The American impatiently interrupted, “Look, I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you be more profitable. You can start by fishing several hours longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra money, you can buy a bigger boat. With the additional income that larger boat will bring, before long you can buy a second boat, then a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of fishing boats.”

Proud of his own sharp thinking, the American excitedly elaborated on a grand scheme that could bring even greater profit, “Then, instead of selling your catch to a middleman you’ll be able to sell your fish directly to the processor, or even open your own cannery. Eventually, you could control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this tiny coastal village and move to Mexico City, or possibly even Los Angeles or New York City, where you could even further expand your enterprise.”

Having never thought of such things, the Mexican asked, “But how long will all this take?”

After a rapid mental calculation, the Harvard MBA pronounced, “Probably about 15-20 years, maybe less if you work really hard.”

“And then what, señor?”asked the Mexican.

“Why, that’s the best part!” answered the American with a laugh. “When the time is right, you would sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.”

“Millions? Really? What would I do with it all?”asked the Mexican in disbelief.

The American boasted, “Then you could happily retire with all the money you’d made. You could move to a quaint coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, play with your grandchildren, watch ball games, and take siesta with your wife. You could stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play the guitar and sing with your friends all you want…”

You are rich. You have always been so. Just discover what makes you feel rich. This is the deeper truth.